


One Last Straw

by lemonlush



Series: One Last Ride [1]
Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Healing, Heavy Angst, Moving On
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:53:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26646328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemonlush/pseuds/lemonlush
Summary: They should have been married by now. It would have been their four year wedding anniversary that weekend. Maybe it's time to say goodbye...and move on. A One Last Ride prequel.
Series: One Last Ride [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932142
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14
Collections: One Last Ride





	One Last Straw

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Inuyasha universe. The rest is mine.

* * *

One Last Straw

Inuyasha closed the tab on his laptop with youtube, rubbing his eyes. There were only oh so many videos he could handle on fixing a carburetor before things started blurring together, and really...It was the time of night where he just wanted to lay in bed and not think about anything. He wanted to mindlessly scroll through Facebook and maybe Instagram before he hit up Reddit and just fell asleep with his laptop on his chest.

He didn't think that was too much ta ask for.

He felt a tongue curling yawn crawl up from the back of this throat and he rubbed his eyes, opening a new tab to begin aimlessly scrolling through Facebook. Someone in town got a new dog - good for them. Someone else was celebrating their grandmother's 80th birthday.

And someone else…

Someone else was visiting a certain someone he'd rather not think about in California.

"Kagome…" he breathed, suddenly no longer feeling as tired as he had been a few seconds before.

He had known Sango was going out west ta see her in LA. She had nervously told him a few weeks back. Hell, he knew that she kept in touch with Kagome...So _this_ shouldn't have been a surprise, and yet…

He felt his mouth go dry.

[Art by Nartista](https://nartista.tumblr.com/)

She and Sango were wearing simple bikinis and cowboy hats as they stood around in a crystalline pool, holding drinks.

And...other things. Kagome wore a...was it...a _body chain_ around her body? Fuck, he didn't know fashion. Did know that it was absolutely unnecessary! Just like that fucking pose. She was pulling at the string on her red bikini bottoms, _daring_ the bow to come apart.

What the _fuck_ was she thinking anyway?

And why the hell wasn't Sango stopping her?

...And why the _hell_ did he care, anyway?

He closed the tab and slammed his computer shut, tossing it off to the side and glaring at it. Like it was his computer's fault Kagome was seconds away from baring it all to the world. Like it was his computer that made him angry to see her like that.

He hadn't seen an updated picture of her in… _Years._

Well.

That weren't totally true, now was it?

He had seen a few "professional" headshots of her over the years. Things used on her college's newspaper staff page. When you clicked on her byline, you were taken to a page with other articles written by her, and there she was. Sparkling blue eyes...beautiful shy smile...kelly green shirt with a simple gold necklace around her neck…

"Fuck," he groaned, running his hands down his face. One picture. That's all it took for him to suddenly take a trip down Kagome Lane, huh?

Remember how beautiful she was? How her eyes sparkled even more in person? How good she smelled? How perfect she felt in his arms?

Fuck!

He needed some fresh air. Some fresh air would clear his thoughts. Help him forget about his _ex-fiance_.

He dug himself out from under his sheets and stepped into a crumpled up pair of jeans abandoned on the floor of his room. The silver of his nearly empty flask caught his eye from its place on his desk, and he grabbed it, quietly closing the door to his room and lumbering down the steps.

He needed to refill it anyways. No time like the present. Might as well, right?

He pushed open the door to the kitchen, so lost in his thoughts about that fucking photo and his fucking ex-fiance, that he didn't even notice his older half brother, Sesshomaru, unwrapping the cellophane packaging around a bag of popcorn.

Instead, Inuyasha walked right past him, reaching up onto the top of the fridge for the bottle of jack daniels. He grabbed it, opened his flask, and carefully filled it over the sink. Or tried to carefully fill it. He hadn't realized his hand was shaking until he tried to pour the alcohol into it.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru pried, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, making him jump. Amber liquid spilled all over his hand, and he placed the bottle down onto the counter.

"Fuck! What the hell Sesshomaru?"

"I could ask you the same," his brother replied, raising a brow at him. "Are you ok?"

"Fine," he snapped back, licking up the droplets on the back and side of his hand. No sense wasting it. "Just startled me is all."

He could feel Sesshomaru's gaze on him as he turned on the sink, washing his hands.

"There something on my face?" he glowered, turning off the water and shaking his hands to rid them of water droplets.

"Yeah - a giant dick. What crawled up your ass tonight?"

"Nothing," he growled, wiping his hands on his shirt before picking up the bottle again. He tried refilling the flask, but his hands were shaking again.

Fuck!

"Give that to me," Sesshomaru sighed, snatching the bottle and flask from Inuyasha. "Why are you refilling this now? It's late," he pressed after a moment, capping the bottle and flask.

"Just felt like it," he replied, moving to take the metal flask from his brother. Sesshomaru pulled it away from him, holding the flask just out of reach as he glared at him.

"Bullshit."

"Sessh, gimme the flask," Inuyasha ground out, swiping for it again, and Sesshomaru took a step back away from him.

"Sure, when you tell me why the hell you want it to begin with," he replied calmly, and Inuyasha balled his hands into fists.

"Sesshomaru, I ain't gonna ask ya again…"

"Neither am I. What happened?"

"Nothing!"

"Bull. Shit."

"I'm telling ya the truth!"

Sesshomaru looked at him for a long, hard minute before slowly asking, "Am I going to regret handing this to ya?"

"W-what?"

"Inuyasha...You have a look in your eye right now that I haven't seen in a long time. Not since you and Kagome-"

"-I'm _fine!"_

"- _Not since you and Kagome broke up,"_ his brother continued, ignoring Inuyasha's interruption. "Don't think I don't know what's coming up. You get like this every year, but you're worse right now than I've seen you in years. So I'm asking you again - am I going to regret giving this back to you?"

"I'm. Fine."

Inuyasha glared at his brother, unperturbed by his calculating gaze.

"Where are you going," Sesshomaru asked after a moment, and Inuyasha felt his eyebrows rise despite himself.

"Just for a walk," he replied, and Sesshomaru glanced from the flask to the bottle of whisky back to his younger brother.

"A walk huh? Let's leave this then. Grab the bottle."

Inuyasha felt his eyes widen before he shook his head.

"No. I wanted to go alone."

"Tough shit," Sesshomaru shrugged, shoving the flask down the front of his pants.

"Aw hell, really? I don't want your ball sweat all over that!"

"Too bad," he smirked. "I'm only giving it back to you if I can come with you."

Inuyasha felt his jaw clench and he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes before running his fingers through his bangs.

"Fine. Keep it," he decided, grabbing the bottle of Jack Daniels and moving towards the front door.

Sesshomaru cut him off, running to stand in front of the door and block his exit.

"Oh come on," Inuyasha groaned.

"Yeah. That's the plan," he nodded. "Where are we heading."

Inuyasha looked at his brother, sizing him up. His mouth was set in a thin, stern line. His eyes were hard. If Inuyasha wanted out of this house, he was going to have to either fight his brother or take him with him. Given that he didn't want their parents to wake up - assuming they were sleeping…

"Fine," he sighed, giving up. "Lead the way…"

Sesshomaru nodded, twisting the knob behind his back and opening the door.

"After you," he encouraged, allowing Inuyasha to leave, grabbing the bottle of Jack Daniels as he went.

He glanced up into the sky as he pushed past the storm door, hearing it clamor shut behind him. It was a full moon. Cloudless sky. Just like the night he asked her to marry him…

He pinched his eyes shut and Sesshomaru placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Where do ya wanna go?"

"The cliffs," he found himself replying before he could stop himself.

Sesshomaru's brows rose in surprise, but he nodded, reaching into the pockets of his jeans, pulling out the keys to the truck.

"How about I drive?" he asked, and Inuyasha nodded, silently following his brother to their father's car, slipping into the passenger's seat. Sesshomaru started the engine, turning off the radio as he shifted the car into drive. The ride was silent, and Inuyasha found himself looking out the window as they went. The familiar terrain passed by in a blur as they drove on.

Terrain he knew like the back of his hand.

Terrain he had passed with her a thousand times before on the way to their spot at the cliffs. He absently wondered if she even remembered what this week was...or what it should have been. Four years...They would have been married for four years on Friday if she hadn't left him.

He wondered what their life would have been like.

Their house would already be done, that's for sure...but he also wondered if they would have kids by now. Maybe a one-year-old? Perhaps plans for another in the talks? He wondered if their child would be a boy or a girl. He kind of always wanted a girl...Not that he really had any say in that. Not that it was going to happen any time soon. Girls were more snuggly than boys though. They loved their fathers.

He had this image of laying in bed next to her, and then the pitter-patter of little feet would wake him up before the doorknob would turn. Their bedroom door would creak open, and then a small warm body would hurdle into their bed, curling up between them. Kagome would have this giant, happy smile on her face as their daughter's arms wrapped around his neck…

He wondered who she would look more like - him, or her mother?

Then, he realized that one-year-olds couldn't charge into rooms at all. They probably couldn't even reach doorknobs yet. Probably slept in cribs still.

Did they?

Guess it didn't matter.

None of it fucking mattered.

He picked up the bottle of Jack and unscrewed the top, shakily bringing it to his lips as his eyes blurred. His throat burned as the amber liquid poured down his throat, but he wasn't sure if it was from the alcohol, or something else.

"Starting without me?" Sesshomaru tried to tease, but he didn't respond. Couldn't. His throat was too thick. Too closed up at the moment. Instead, he just turned his head to look out the window until the cliffs came into view.

When Sesshomaru cut the engine, he opened the door and hopped out, making his way over to the fire pit while the truck's lights were still on. He tossed a few logs in, pulling out the lighter from inside the hollowed log and starting it.

Sesshomaru shut the truck door and joined him on the log as he watched the flames dance, taking another swig from the bottle.

"It's a nice night," he mused, glancing up at the sky.

Inuyasha hummed his acknowledgment of it, handing him the bottle. The amber liquid sloshed up the sides as he took a swig. Silence fell over them for a long time after that, Inuyasha watching the flames as Sesshomaru offered him the bottle again.

He remembered coming here with her. Watching the flames. Laughing. Smiling. Sometimes drinking. He remembered the time they came here after she had gotten into a fight with her mother. He didn't even remember what the fight was about. Just that it was bad enough she needed to leave for a minute. He went out to their house, picked her up, and they sat there on the log. Cuddled together. Watching the flames.

They were the only two people in the whole world.

He could still feel the heat of her body pressed into his. Or maybe it was the liquor and he was just imagining it. Replacing what he remembered with what he could feel from Sesshomaru.

He took another swig from the bottle letting it drop between his knees as Sesshomaru continued to silently sit beside him.

Five years…

Damn.

Five years since she broke him. Ripped his heart out in this very spot and crushed it in her perfect, tiny, little fists right in his face.

"Five years," he whispered. "You know what this week should have been?"

Sesshomaru didn't respond. He didn't need to, and they both knew it. Everyone knew.

"Didja know that Sango is out there right now? With her?"

"I did."

"They look like they're having a _grand_ ol' time," he snapped, taking another swig as he continued to watch the flames. His eyes were beginning to feel dry. His stomach knotted so badly he didn't think he would ever be able to untangle it. His chest was heavy - aching. Each beat made his throat swell and the dryness in his eyes only got worse as he tried to stave off the tears that he knew he would be crying if he were human.

But he had promised himself.

No more fucking tears over that woman.

He was moving on. Putting her behind him. She was the past and…And...And he had a future with someone else. Who? He had no fucking clue. But it didn't matter. She'd moved on, hadn't she? She was laughing and smiling and acting like Friday wouldn't have been an important milestone. Like nothing of _significance_ was ever supposed to happen this week.

He took another swig from the bottle and a little bit of the whiskey within dribbled down his chin. He roughly wiped it off with the back of his hand, thrusting the bottle back out at Sesshomaru.

"Here," he growled, trying to latch onto the anger. If he was angry, he wasn't sad. And if he was sad, he would start to remember all the things he loved about her. He needed to focus on the hate instead. The confusion and betrayal...

He didn't get it. He never had.

He had fucking done _everything_ for her that he could think of...and it wasn't e- _fucking_ -nough for her. She still tossed him to the side...and she never even really told him _why_.

Fine.

 _Whatever_.

Pretend he didn't matter. Pretend he was _insignificant_ and _nothing_.

 _Pretend that this wasn't a special week_. That it _should_ have been special.

Be _normal_ , Kagome.

Go live your best, fucking _god damn_ life, because _he didn't fucking matter_. He didn't exist. Their ten years of friendship...of dating...of _fucking togetherness_ didn't _fucking matter_.

"Inuyasha…" his brother soothed, placing a hand on his shoulder, and Inuyasha realized for the first time that he had been growling.

"Sorry," he mumbled, grabbing the bottle back from Sesshomaru without waiting to be offered it.

Sesshomaru was quiet for a few minutes, letting only the sound of the crickets and the crackling fire break the silence between them, before finally, he asked, "What do you mean by 'they look like they're having a grand old time', Inuyasha?"

"Nothing," he grumbled, taking another sip. "Meant nothing by it, Sessh."

"Alright then," Sesshomaru nodded, watching him take yet another sip. "But...If you had…"

" _It's nothing._ "

"Alright."

The clearing filled with the sound of the crickets and the fire once more, and in the distance, Inuyasha heard a coyote's cry. He wondered what it was looking for. It's family? Was it trying to find its way home?

 _Fuck_ , he wanted to find his way home too. He wanted a home again. He wanted to be loved as he had been...He wanted to belong with another person as he had once belonged to her.

Inuyasha rubbed his eyes as his mind began to fog. Perhaps he should slow down...But why? It's not like he had anyone waiting for him when he got home. Hadn't had anyone in…

Five fucking years.

She looked so damn sexy. Had turned into such a beautiful woman…

"How do you know that?"

Inuyasha hadn't realized that he'd said that aloud...And maybe it was the liquor. Maybe it was just poor judgement...but he took his phone out of his pocket and showed Sesshomaru Sango's Facebook page. There they were. Bikinis, martinis, and sunshine. Maybe not martinis. Fuck, he didn't know. It was hard to think.

Or getting harder to think?

Fuck, it didn't matter...Nothing mattered. He just wanted more, and he took another swig from the bottle.

"Saw that earlier when I was trying ta go to sleep. Couldn't...didn't mean to...I just…"

"You don't need to explain," Sesshomaru shrugged, so he didn't.

"Least I didn't start reading her shit again?" he joked lightly, but Sesshomaru didn't look amused. It was like his own personal hell. Whenever he really started missing her...Started to want to be around her, or smell her or…It didn't matter. Didn't matter what he wanted. Because he didn't want anything anymore. _Because if she was over him, he was over her._ But...On days when he was...Perhaps a little _less_ over her than he should be…

Those were the days that he would find those articles and read. He could practically hear them in her voice...and...just for a _moment_...he felt closer to her again. He felt the ache in his chest ease a little. And...well...As _stupid_ as it was...

Just for that _one_ moment…

He had Kagome again.

Sesshomaru tapped on something on his phone, and suddenly he _was_ hearing her voice.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder to see that there was apparently _more_ than just a picture. There was a fucking _video._

" _Kagome!"_ Sango called, pulling her friend to her as music blared in the background. _"Dance with meeee!"_ she whined, pointing the camera at the other woman...wrapped in another man's arms. Someone he had never seen before.

Some fucking _cat_.

Weren't enough she went and left him...Now she was dating a fucking _cat_ demon. He didn't know what was worse. The fact that she was _clearly_ with a _cat_ now...or that he wasn't a fucking half breed like _him_. He was a real pretty boy too. Golden, Patrick Dempsey hair...green eyes...high feline cheekbones.

And the fucking _ears_.

She always had a thing for ears.

He closed his eyes as he heard the man tease Sango about trying to take his girl from him, but Kagome went to her nonetheless, and soon they were singing along to _Party in the USA_. Faces screwed up, arms waving in the air as _the cat_ took the phone from them and recorded their shenanigans.

He couldn't do this. He couldn't hear how happy she was. Couldn't watch her with another man like that. He wasn't strong enough for that right now. He couldn't…

He needed it to stop.

He needed it all to just _stop_. Just for a minute. Just…

Just...

"Stop it, Sesshomaru. Please."

He normally would have been ashamed of the way that his voice cracked, but he didn't care. He just...Just…

He found himself in Sesshomaru's arms, his head resting on his shoulder as his brother silently held him, allowing him to screw his eyes up and take deep, shuddering breaths. 'Cause he weren't gonna cry over her again. He wasn't gonna let himself.

He had _promised_ himself that, and he was gonna make good on it.

"It's ok," Sesshomaru, rumbled softly, and he broke. The damn in his soul was released, and with it came the floods.

He soaked his brother's shirt as his hell replayed itself in his mind over and over again. The video. Her smile. Their break up.

" _I can't...I can't marry you, Yash...I'm...I'm so sorry...I just...I can't…"_

Yash.

Fucking _hated_ that name now. He _never_ wanted to hear it again.

"It's ok," Sesshomaru, murmured again, continuing to rub his back. "Let it out, Inuyasha. Let it all out."

"What was so wrong about _me_ , Sessh? Why not _me_?"

"I don't know why," his brother replied honestly, letting him cry until he couldn't anymore. Sesshomaru waited until Inuyasha's sobs turned into hiccups...and the hiccups turned into deep, uneven breaths. His eyes hurt so much. They felt like sandpaper...and he was sure they were blood-red right now.

"Inuyasha...You know I love you...but...Maybe it's…"

Sesshomaru sighed, and Inuyasha looked away from him. He knew what was coming next. It didn't take a genius.

"Kagome has moved on, Inuyasha. I think it might be time you really put yourself out there too."

"I've done that, Sesshomaru," he whispered, burying his face into his hands.

"I'm not talking about one-night stands or the occasional three-month fling. I'm talking about really _dating_ someone again. Like you did with her. She's still inside you, Inuyasha. You need to evict her and find someone else. She can't be your happiness forever, because you haven't _been_ happy. You need to find that somewhere else."

"Yeah, ok," he snorted, taking another swig from his bottle. "Cause someone else is really gonna want _this_ mess."

"You might be surprised."

"Hardly."

"I'm serious! Kagome ain't the only fucking woman in the whole damn world."

"But she was _my_ woman…"

"And now she's _not_ ," Sesshomaru sighed. "Believe it or not, Inuyasha...I want you to be happy. Were you happy with her? Yeah. But...could you find happiness with someone else if you gave yourself a chance? Yeah. Ya could. It's been five years since you broke up, and...I know that this week is always hard for you...But maybe you need to start looking at it not as a funeral, but as a celebration of freedom.

"She broke up with you. That means that...There was something wrong in that relationship. Maybe you need to stop mourning that and waiting for her to come home, and start celebrating the fact that you aren't with a woman who might be resenting your very guts right now if she had stayed with you.

"Maybe, you need to look at all of this as a good thing. You've only ever _really_ known what it's like to be with Kagome. Do you really think you could be happy knowing that? You were what...thirteen when you got together? Not even really adults when you proposed? Inuyasha, I love you, but...You need to _let go_."

"I…" he opened his mouth to tell his brother that he had...but...had he? He was drinking himself stupid because he had seen a _photo_ of her. This wasn't normal.

This wasn't _good_.

"Let me ask you something...If you could talk to her right now, what would you say?"

His ears lowered as he looked back into the fire.

What would he _say_?

He picked up the bottle and took another long, hard swig of the whiskey.

What would he say?

"I'd ask her for the truth. I'd ask her why she told me she cheated on me when she didn't...I'd ask her what the hell I did wrong...I'd ask her why I wasn't enough. And I'd...I'd ask her how she's doing. If she's happy with that fucking _cat_...with...her _life_. I want to know if it's that much better without me in it."

"You could, you know…" Sesshomaru pointed out.

"Yeah," Inuyasha snorted. "Sure I can."

"You could. If you think knowing that would bring you peace...would help you to move on...You could ask her."

"How exactly do ya think I could do that, exactly?"

"Well," Sesshomaru sighed. "You could try calling her."

"Probably changed her number," he mumbled, taking another swig and wiping his cheeks again. They still felt wet...but he swore he had just dried them…

"Then you could message her on Facebook."

"We aren't friends."

"Don't gotta be friends to message someone. She might respond. Might not. But...at least you can put it out into the universe. Say you _tried_ , and if she don't respond...well...You gave it a shot, and that's on _her_."

Inuyasha chewed the inside of his lip as Sesshomaru pried the bottle of whiskey from his loose grip. Would it help? Would knowing...Would...Could...Could he really move on completely if he knew?

He took his phone back from Sesshomaru and opened Facebook again, looking at that damn picture of her with Sango. She really did look so beautiful…

As much as he hated the man's guts, the _cat_ was a lucky fucker. Of that, he was certain.

He internally shook himself and tapped on Kagome's name, taking him to her private account, and hit the message bubble next to her name. It opened his chat, and suddenly, he was typing. He was pouring his soul into this message. Telling her everything he had felt over the years, and asking her everything he had told Sesshmaru he would.

...And when he was done. When he looked down at the words with blurry eyes, reading his message and rereading it…

...He couldn't hit the send.

He couldn't bring himself to do it.

Because she _was_ happy. And Sesshomaru was right.

He needed to let go. And revisiting that _fucking_ night...It weren't gonna do him a lick of good right now. _She_ hadn't. _He_ wasn't gonna either. He was going to tuck her back away into that box of Kagome in his soul, and bury it deep within the pit of his stomach where she belonged...Because if she could find a way to be "good", then he was gonna as well.

"You ok," Sesshomaru asked, and Inuyasha nodded, placing his thumb on the backspace. The little cursor moved across the letters, making them disappear from his screen and his heart.

"I...I am, Sessh. Thanks," he smiled smally, and there must have been something on his face...something in his eyes…

"Yeah. I...Love you, you know," his brother choked out as he placed his hands around his throat, scrunching up his face in the process, and Inuyasha weakly shoved his shoulder.

"Yeah? Well you can go shove it up your ass Sessh," he joked lightly, and Sesshomaru just wrapped his arm around Inuyasha's shoulders again.

"You first, Asswipe."

* * *

"Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord."

_"Thanks be to God."_

Was...was Mass over already?

Shit. He hadn't been paying a lick of attention. His head was pounding, and honestly, he didn't have it in himself at the moment. Not when he saw Sango sitting a few pews up and over to the left, with Miroku. He needed to talk to her.

Well, maybe _needed_ was the wrong term. But he...wanted to talk to her. Ask her how her... _trip_ was. Perhaps...Perhaps how someone else was too. Just...Just outta curiosity.

Just so he _knew_ and could move on with a clear conscious.

People began standing up, the aisles between the pews filling as friends and neighbors began to chat, and Inuyasha did his best to slip away from his family and over to Sango and Miroku.

"Hey," he greeted as they began exiting their pew.

"Inuyasha! Hi!" Sango greeted, reaching out to hug him. "I missed you!"

"Missed you too," he grinned. "You're looking good. Tan?"

"California sun," she replied, and Inuyasha watched Miroku wrap his arm around her waist, concern marring his face.

"You ok, Inuyasha?" Miroku pressed, and he hoped it didn't still show on his face that he was still feeling like shit.

"Yeah! Yeah...Just...wanted to know how you guys were doing, is all."

"Was that all," Miroku tried again, and Inuyasha silently begged his friend to just...keep his mouth shut for once. Just for a bit. Let him have this...let him _ask_.

"Well, it's not every day that one of your best friends heads off to California," Inuyasha shrugged. "Just wanted to know if she had a good time, is all."

"I had a wonderful time, Inuyasha," Sango smiled weakly before worming out of Miroku's grasp. "Why don't we head outside? Getting awfully loud in here," Sango prompted, leading the men out of the church, and Inuyasha practiced in his mind again, for the hundredth time, how he was going to casually ask Sango more about her trip.

When they came around to the side, finding a little shade under the dark green leaves of a tree, Sango began looking around for something.

"Oh shoot...Miroku, I think I left my phone back at our pew - would you go find it for me?" she asked, batting her long lashes at him.

"I thought you…" the man began, blinking at her in confusion.

"Nope! I don't seem to have it on me. Go look, Honey?"

"...Yeah. Ok," he replied reluctantly, clearly confused...and so was Inuyasha. She was lying. He could smell it on her, he just didn't understand _why_.

"Sango?" he asked, furrowing his brow when Miroku was out of earshot. "What was that about?"

"I was just trying to give you a little space from judgy men," Sango explained with a sympathetic smile. "You wanted to ask me about her, didn't you?"

Inuyasha didn't know what to say, so instead, he just shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at his shoes.

"That obvious," he finally whispered, a wry smile on his lips.

"I don't know about _obvious_ , but...I know, Inuyasha. And you don't have to pretend with me," she explained warmly.

He didn't know what to say. His well-rehearsed speech had flown out the window.

"Oh...Ok, then…Well...Since...Since you brought it up," he coughed into a fist, trying to not look interested. "How...How's she...Is she...How is she doing?"

"She's well, Inuyasha," she smiled, placing a hand on his arm. "She's happy with her new job. Pretty happy with her apartment - she and Ayame just moved and she likes having the rooftop pool. And she's…She's doing ok."

"She's doing ok," he mused, tilting his head up to look at the summer light filtering in between the leaves. "Just ok?"

"I wouldn't say great, yeah...but...she's doing ok. She's…She just started dating someone new. Some cat demon," she winced.

"Yeah?" he swallowed, letting the knowledge take root in him. So it was a new relationship. That...well...it didn't make him feel better, but...it made seeing her with him settle better in his stomach.

Maybe it had taken her all this time to get over him too.

Maybe this was _her_ first real relationship after him...

"Yeah," she nodded. "He's nice. Works with her roommate. He's a few years older - I think a third-year associate at her law firm?"

A fucking lawyer?

Of course he was. Replaced by a cat, demon, lawyer. He was his polar opposite.

"Huh," he whispered, trying to not let the pain show. "She's really never coming back here, is she?" he mumbled, his gaze shifting to his shoes. "G-good for her. She's happy. Good."

As much as it hurt...

That's all he had ever really wanted for her.

For her to be happy.

He had given her space. Four years of it...and for four years, he had held out hope that she would come back to him. It was five years now.

He really _did_ need to accept that they were over, didn't he? She was moving on. And he needed to stop being stuck in the past. He needed to find himself too, same as she clearly was. He needed...He needed to move on. Sesshomaru was right.

It was time for something more than just a one night stand or a random fling.

It was time he accepted the fact that Kagome wasn't his anymore, and she never would be again.

He needed to leave her in the past, and move on.

"I'm glad she's happy," he breathed, running his fingers through his hair and looking back up at the tree. "She deserves to be happy. Despite everything."

"She is," Sango nodded.

"Do you like him? The _cat_?"

"I do...But...I like you more, Inuyasha," she smiled weakly. "I always liked you for her more. You know that."

He did. She had been silently cheering them on from the sidelines for years, until…

"I'm glad you like him." The words felt as shallow and hollow as they sounded. "I should probably get a move on," he nodded, suddenly needing to get home as soon as possible. He needed some space away from everyone.

"Inuyasha, wait," Sango called out as he moved away from her, and he paused despite his better judgment.

"Yeah?"

"I...This weekend was hard for her too, you know. It always is. She hasn't forgotten about you, but...she is...trying to make the best of her life now, and finding her own happiness. I just...felt you should know that you still mean something to her."

"What...What am I supposed to do with that, Sango?" he whispered, running his hand down his face.

"Whatever you need to," she shrugged. "I just...I thought it might help. That's all."

"Yeah. Ok. Thanks, Sango. I'll see you guys around. Tell Miroku I'll be by to help with his beer later this week, ok?"

"Ok. Love you, Inuyasha."

"Yeah…"

He didn't hang around after that.

* * *

Inuyasha rolled out the plans for the house he had always intended to build with Kagome, and gently traced his fingers over them. The kitchen...Nice and open, just how he knew she would like it. The family room right off of it, with a large fireplace in the center of the room. He could almost see the couches and armchairs around it, feel the heat from the crackling fire within on his skin as he looked out the large windows at the snow-covered ground...He traced the dining room, large enough to fit his whole family around one table for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Traced the master bedroom, filled with love and passion and comfort and peace…

He could feel the life within the ink walls below his fingertips.

And he wanted it.

He couldn't have that life with Kagome anymore, but…

By _god_ , he wanted that life with _someone_. He loved this house. Had from the day he finished the plans for it.

The land was still his to do with as he pleased. Maybe...Maybe it was time to finally start that house.

Yeah. _Why the hell not, right?_

He was an adult man living at home with his parents. Maybe...maybe if he had a place of his own it would be easier to date someone? He didn't want to waste money on an apartment...Not when it was going to cost an arm and a leg to get building materials. So, maybe he could start on that now?

Why not, right?

Inuyasha rolled the plans back up and tucked them under his arm, trotting down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Well, you seem to have a pep in your step," his brother commented from the table where he was eating a sandwich.

"Yeah," Inuyasha smiled. "I'm...I'm gonna go out to the plot of land Ma and Pops gave me. I think...I think I'm gonna start building that house."

Sesshomaru dropped his sandwich, staring at him in shock.

"What?" Inuyasha demanded, rolling his eyes. "You gonna tell me not to build my house? You think it's a dumb idea? Think I should wait? Think-"

"-It's a great idea. Gimme a sec to finish this up, and I'll come with you."

"W-wait...really?" Inuyasha pressed, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "You wanna...come with me...To look at where I'm gonna build the house?"

Sesshomaru nodded his head, picking up his sandwich and taking a giant bite out of it.

"Iwannaseewhatyouhaveinmindforit."

"Oh fuck Sessh, couldn't ya swallow first?"

"I only swallow when it's worth it," Sesshomaru smirked and Inuyasha gagged, making him laugh. "Why now, Inuyasha? Thought you were happy living here?"

"Yeah well...it's kinda hard to get _alone time_ witha woman when you live with mommy and daddy," he replied with a shrug, and he thought that his brother was about to have a stroke. "You were right, Sessh. It's...It's time. Kagome ain't coming back. I can't keep acting like a whipped pup missing his master. I need ta move on."

Sesshomaru leaned back in his chair and slowly looked him up and down, taking another large bite of his sandwich.

"Whaaaaat," Inuyasha groaned, and Sesshomaru just shrugged.

"Nothing. Just thinking how proud I am of ya. Come on. We'll take the truck. I'll just finish this up on the way."

"Dad will kill ya for eating that in there."

"Only if you tell him, dickwad."

* * *

The trip to Inuyasha's plot of land was quick...As was deciding exactly where he wanted to start to lay the groundwork. Both his father and brother had broken ground on barns before, and other structures. His brother said that they would be more than willing to help, and when needed, they could all pull favors to help get Inuyasha started.

"I know this great little lumber yard too in Doverford."

"Know it?" Inuyasha snorted, and Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Never been, but heard good things. Good deals and the owner has a really _hot_ daughter and son."

"Trying to use me as an excuse to cruise, huh?"

"I need an excuse?" he replied, raising one of his silver eyebrows at him. "Anyways, let's go check it out. It's only 35, 40 minutes away. It's not too bad. May as well, right? Got the truck."

Inuyasha rubbed his chin before nodding. Fuck it, right? The drive out there was quick especially with Sesshomaru in the driver's seat. The man drove like a maniac. Speed limits were a suggestion and nothing more...and he often said to hell with suggestions.

When they got to the warehouse, they were met with the scent of felled, fresh lumber, and it...it actually made him feel _excited_. Like he was actually looking forward to this project. He casually walked up and down the aisles, looking for pine. He was honestly impressed by the wide selection of wood they had here. Cherry, rose...Thirty-year old slabs of walnut...Pre-blight chestnut. He was...shocked.

He was about to tell Sesshomaru that this place was _well_ worth the drive when his brother's phone went off.

"It's Rin. I'll be right back."

"I thought you were breaking up with her?" Inuyasha replied, raising his brow at her.

"I'm working on it," he shrugged.

"If ya don't, you're gonna end up married to her, ya know…"

"That would involve me asking her. I'm gonna do it, don't worry…"

"That's what you always say," he teased as his brother flicked him off, slipping back down the aisle.

"Ass," he grumbled under his breath, running his fingers up and down a piece of oak.

It was nice. Really nice.

"Interested?" a woman pressed, leaning against the stack, making him jump. When had she snuck up on him? And _how?_

"In some pine...I gotta say though...This...is _really_ nice."

And so was she...A wind demoness by the smell of it. Black hair, ruby-red eyes...lush lips…

He distracted himself with the wood before him as she tucked a strand of her hair behind her pointed ear.

"Pine huh? What do you need pine for?"

"I'm building a house. I didn't want to use something nicer for the basic structure, but my brother heard of you guys and wanted me to come out here, and he got a phone call, so he isn't here now anymore but I'm just kinda wandering around looking…"

Fuck.

He was rambling. Why the hell was he rambling?

"Building a house huh?" she commented, and he noticed her eyes shift from his face down to his left hand.

Was she…

She was looking for a ring?

"Just for you?"

"A guy needs a place to live, don't he?" he shrugged casually. Fuck he hoped it was casual.

"Yeah. He does. So, are you just starting this project?"

"I am," he nodded shoving his hands into his pockets.

"And your...girlfriend didn't want to come with you for this?"

"Ah...No. I'm not...there's no...I'm…"

"Single?" she supplied, a smirk pulling at the red corners of her lips.

"Yeah. I'm...that."

"You're sweet," she smiled. "Why don't you come with me? I'll show you where we keep that pine. Maybe you'll find what you're looking for...and perhaps something else will catch your eye along the way…"

"Something else has certainly caught my eye…" he mumbled under his breath, and the wind demoness giggled airily.

FUCK.

He hadn't meant for her to hear that.

He needed Sesshomaru to come back.

_Now._

_Before_ he made a total fool of himself.

"I'm Kagura, by the way? And you are?"

"Inuyasha," he replied, swallowing hard.

"Inuyasha...That's an unusual name. I like it...and those little puppy ears of yours. They're as cute as you are."

He would not blush. He would not blush. He would not blush.

He was blushing.

And totally screwed.

By the time Sesshomaru found him again, Kagura had just slipped her card into his back pants pocket before disappearing, and he was having a hard time processing what had just happened.

"Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru pressed, once he found him.

"I...I have a date."

Sesshomaru paused, looking at the wind demoness with a certain appreciation in his gaze as she walked away from them.

"No shit?" he pressed, his face slowly widening into a grin.

"No shit," he nodded, taking her card out of his pocket and running his thumb over the slightly raised text of her name and number.

"She's hot," Sesshomaru commented, clearly impressed. "Like, really hot...If I weren't with Rin…"

"Didn't break up with her?"

"Working on it," he groaned. "Still. I'm proud of you."

"Yeah…So...So am I."

Because he was moving on.

At long last, he was going to force himself to move on, and…

Surprisingly…

He was looking forward to it.

* * *

A/N:

This piece is CANON and takes place prior to One Last Ride!! Inspired by Nartista's art (check her out on tumblr, she's amazing!!) and written when the dark crept in again. 


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